Fisheye FIX for the S90

[Nemrod]

This is the part Nemrod is referring to:

FIX S90 Threaded Adadpter Ring M52 [fix.m52.ring] - $35.00 : Reef Photo & Video!, The Underwater Photo Pros

We requested a more economical lens adapter after the 3 piece mounts were released, and Fisheye was able to provide it! No vignetting with UWL-04 at 28mm (JPG), and 67mm macro lenses can be attached via M52-M67 step up rings.

I would recommend one of these at this low price even if you have no intention of buying a UWL-04 or mounting a wet lens with it because:

1. It can be used in place of the slip on plastic lens protector that most of us lost the first time we used the camera to protect the lens barrel threads from damage.

2. You can install various filters, lens hoods, polarizers etc for use underwater or for surface shooting, since, the S90 in the FIX housing is no larger than a naked G11 the housed S90 is a great amphibious camera, rain camera etc. The FIX90/S90 combination, the controls are so smooth and work so well it is one of the few housed cameras that work great in the housing for topside wet/cold/inclement photography.

N

 

[rriddle]

This is the part Nemrod is referring to:

FIX S90 Threaded Adadpter Ring M52 [fix.m52.ring] - $35.00 : Reef Photo & Video!, The Underwater Photo Pros

We requested a more economical lens adapter after the 3 piece mounts were released, and Fisheye was able to provide it! No vignetting with UWL-04 at 28mm (JPG), and 67mm macro lenses can be attached via M52-M67 step up rings.

Hi Ryan! If one were to use this mount would it be possible to unscrew the mount from the housing with the UWL-04 attached and use a 52mm lens caddy of some variety? I hate to remove this lens to shoot some macro with no where safe to put it.

 

[Ryan]

Most people use m67 lens caddies, and use the supplied m52-m67 adapter ring that comes with UWL-04 to mount the lens in the caddy.

Inon 67mm Single Lens Holder [ino.171] - $51.95 : Reef Photo & Video!, The Underwater Photo Pros

I'd put a drop of blue loctite on the adapter ring threads to keep it permanently mounted in the lens caddy if it were my own.

 

[HerraduraDivers]

rridle,
i know 3 persons who had lost their wet lens mounted on a caddy, one of them was diving with me.
I also managed it to get pushed by the surge against a rock and a small piece of the lense shattered away :-(
For this reason i store my UWL-100 WA in a neoprene pouch (or a old sock) in the pocket i have glued on my wetsuit or in the pocket of my bcd.
If you use a caddy, find a way to fix a thin line with a loop so that you can clip it somewhere avoiding loosing it and a neoprene protection (made of a old wetsuit/neoprene sock) over it to protect them from impacts and scratches.
The best way is to have a friend who does offshore fishing or ask in a tackle shop to crimp a short piece of 1mm fishing line around the lens and creating a loop for a snap bolt.

Chris

 

[Nemrod]

OK, minor update, I have received the Fisheye brand UWL-04 lens. I am immediately impressed, it came with a step up ring, neoprene cover and appears to have excellent build quality. Not Inon level quality but excellent nonetheless, I will not be complaining, in fact, I am highly impressed with the lens.

The UWL-04 is larger than the Inon 165AD and in fact larger than the Inon WAL100-67 with dome. In terms of weight, it is much lighter than the dome equipped WAL100-67, This should improve underwater buoyancy, the outfit is somewhat negative and front heavy with the 100-67 plus dome.

The lens quickly and easily threads on to the new aluminum FIX 52mm port adapter that I and Ryan provided links to on his site and from Backscatter. Initial dry impressions of the optical match are excellent and I am very hopeful that I may have to revise my earlier predictions---lol---hey, I have always reserved the right to change my mind. Well, in any case, the Inon lenses have a race to win and it is not going to be handed to them, I expect this UWL-04 to give a good showing and it may win my shoot off. Right off, it does appear, that with the 52mm FIX adapter, no zoom is required for the S90, I think I will be able to shoot at the native 28mm wide.

So, I hope to get in the water at the pool Sunday for an initial session, it may be several weeks yet before I can go full guns on my shoot out.

Another bit of info, earlier this year my Coz trip was canceled due to a work commitment and now my trip to the Panhandle is canceled thanks to BP. So, next up is GC in July, so it goes, this year has been difficult, nearly half of my planned trips have been scrubbed. So it goes.

As I have said before, if I were starting from scratch, this Fisheye UWL-04 lens with the new aluminum FIX90 port adapter is probably the best option. However, for those who want to do macro plus wide angle, switch lenses underwater, may already have an Inon AD lens, nothing has changed in my thinking, the FIX 67mm lens kit plus the 10Bar AD to 67mm adapter and the Inon AD series lenses have many advantages, small size, light weight, excellent quality and they bayonet mount.

N

 

[skynscuba]

The UWL-04 is larger than the Inon 165AD and in fact larger than the Inon WAL100-67 with dome.
N

Is the UWL-04 usable above water? That is one slight regret I have regarding the UFL-165AD, that it isn't meant for above water and is a bit blurry. I wouldn't use it much there anyway, but would be nice on occasion.

 

[Nemrod]

Is the UWL-04 usable above water? That is one slight regret I have regarding the UFL-165AD, that it isn't meant for above water and is a bit blurry. I wouldn't use it much there anyway, but would be nice on occasion.

I don't know yet, I imagine that like all dome equipped lenses, above water they are optically compromised, after all they have to focus on a virtual image when used underwater which does not form when the lens is not submerged--if you follow.

N

 

[ozziworld]

Nemrod,

I hope you get a chance to try it out with the 67mm mount as well, I was considering the Fisheye UWL-04 , 67mm adapter and for Macro the Inon UCL165 67mm.

My decision on the Inon UFL165AD or Fisheye UWL-04 is riiding on how well the Fisheye performs. Adapter and Macro lens will follow accordingly.

BTW, was wondering with your M67/AD adapter. When you remove / install the UFL165AD, Do you thread it off at the M67 mount or do you remove it at the AD mount? I would assume you have the choice of removing threading it off the M67 mount or at the Bayonet AD mount. Bayonet AD being the more convenient of the two would be great combined with the Macro UCL165AD when switching lenses underwater.

 

[Nemrod]

Nemrod,

I hope you get a chance to try it out with the 67mm mount as well, I was considering the Fisheye UWL-04 , 67mm adapter and for Macro the Inon UCL165 67mm.

My decision on the Inon UFL165AD or Fisheye UWL-04 is riiding on how well the Fisheye performs. Adapter and Macro lens will follow accordingly.

BTW, was wondering with your M67/AD adapter. When you remove / install the UFL165AD, Do you thread it off at the M67 mount or do you remove it at the AD mount? I would assume you have the choice of removing threading it off the M67 mount or at the Bayonet AD mount. Bayonet AD being the more convenient of the two would be great combined with the Macro UCL165AD when switching lenses underwater.

Ozzie, normally I remove the AD lenses from the AD adapter leaving the AD adapter in the 67mm mount. Here is what I do, I use a single wrap of blue vinyl tape after installing the AD adapter into the 67mm mount. The single wrap of tape prevent me from having to over tighten the AD adapter into the 67mm mount and prevents it from rotating when I use the bayonet function to remove the AD lenses. This allows me to remove and replace the AD fisheye lens with an AD macro lens with a half turn twist. When I remove an AD lens underwater I try to grasp the 67mm FIX port mount and hold it to help the anti-rotation clip. This all sounds complicated and the truth is that it is simple, simple, simple.

On all of the mounts, since the threads are not IMO substantial, I snug them down, I do not smoke them on! The 67mm FIX mount kit consist of three pieces as we have discussed before, one of the pieces is a little anti-rotation "doodad" clip, I do pay attention to this part and snug it down firmly once the orientation is settled.

I do not remove these pieces over and over, I install them and they may stay on for several days. I use a little silicone grease on the threads, in particular, the threads I am referring to are the external port threads, the silicone grease prevents corrosion here. Just a little bitty bit because you don't want it all over your port lens or wet met lenses.

I do not like the concept of threading lenses on and off, the fine threads of these photographic mounts are easy to cross thread and a PITA to do underwater, the AD lenses on the other hand bayonet on and off which is easy to do underwater.

On the FIX UWL-04 using the supplied step up ring and the FIX 67mm mount, my very preliminary indications are that it will work fine but will require zooming at least one notch to eliminate dark corners.

Now, what is the stated DFOV for the Fisheye brand UWL-04 fisheye lens, the FIX website says .42X and 130 degrees, the instruction sheet that came with the lens said simply greater than 160 degrees so I guess we will try and see.

I think my first tests in the pool will be some simple shots from a fixed position to demonstrate comparative FOV of the two Inon lenses vs the Fisheye/FIX UWL-04.

My second experiment would be some sort of test pattern to determine sharpness, focus etc. This may be more of a problem because of the amount of equipment I need to put into the pool, lol.

Most likely I will present this info in the new underwater photography forum in my signature, not here. See link below:

http://www.uwphotographyguide.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=264&p=1034#p1034

BTW, the UWL-04 instruction sheet specifically states the lens is for underwater use only.

N

 

[Nemrod]

I was unable to get into the pool today at the Y due to a lifeguard class, there was just too much going on and I would have gotten in their way, plus, I took a hard fall on my bicycle this morning and am a bit frazzled. I did however, return to the hot tub, took a series of pics with the UWL-04, UWL100-67 with dome and UFL165AD. The photos are posted on the link in my previous post. They clearly demonstrate that all three of these lenses are simply amazing with the FIX90 housing and Canon S90. Picking a winner is going to be hard!

As also stated in my last post, my trip to Destin with the Boston Whaler Nemrod is canceled due to the oil spill. Therefore my next opportunity to get the lenses in the water will be (aside from the Y pool, lol) will be in July when I go to Grand Cayman.

IMO, based on what I am seeing, there is no clear winner, I can see a lot more here than I can describe and demonstrate in a hot tub. Based on this preliminary ACTUAL back to back demo shoot, I would say that:

1. Starting fresh, get the 52mm FIX adapter and the Fisheye UWL-04 and as to macro, beats the c---- out of me.

2. If you already own an Inon lens or similar Ikelite or Epoque lens, this thread has provided info on how to mount those lenses and I would save my money and shoot what you got. The AD lenses with the FIX 67mm kit and the 10Bar adapter are clearly the winner for changing lenses underwater between port, macro and wide angle and ultra wide angle. I do not have the FIX 28AD mounting kit to test, several others have this item and will have to report on it, I cannot afford another 200 dollars mount kit and if I get another it would be a spare 67mm kit.

3. The dome equipped UWL100-67 weighs in at approximately 2 pounds and 9 ounces, the Fisheye UWL-04 weighs 1 pound and 8 ounces. In terms of dimensions, diameter, length, they are so close it is a wash. The little UFL165AD weighs in at about one pound and an once or so.

4. My bet is that when push comes to shove, the UWL100-67 with dome is the winner, why, because this lens is all optical coated glass including the dome and it just does not have any real tendency to show flare which I can see already, initial impressions, the UWL-04 is less flare prone than the 165AD and neither the 165AD or UWL-04 suppress flare like the all glass UWL100-67.

Preliminary results presented here:

http://www.uwphotographyguide.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=264&p=1034#p1034

YRMV

N